When Edmonton Oilers forward Trent Frederic spoke with Boston media upon his return to the city on Thursday, he was asked about his time with the Bruins and the greats who came and left the team. He talked about how impactful they were and their roles in the organization. When asked about his role with the Oilers, he gave a bit of a baffling response.
“I think I’m still trying to figure that out,” he said. ” He then added, “I don’t know what I’ve created for myself here, I haven’t gotten a great start.”
While he’s not wrong that his start has been less-than great (downright awful, actually), that he doesn’t know what his role is seems like a head-scratcher. Perhaps a little leash should be granted to Frederic, who at the start of the season was put on a top line with Connor McDavid. That was not the right fit and might have given him a false sense that the Oilers wanted him to be a top-six scorer.
A top-line scorer he is not.
However, he’s now spent more than 20 games in a bottom-six role, and it should be clear as day what this Oilers team needs from him. The fact that he doesn’t know is a problem.
The Oilers Clearly Defined Frederic’s Role When They Signed Him
Frederic was given a deal much longer than anyone expected he would have because GM Stan Bowman viewed him as somewhat of a unicorn. “Getting to know him as a person has been a great experience because he’s got a lot of attributes that I think are very important to a successful team,” Bowman said. “He’s incredibly competitive, [a] great teammate, great team guy. He brings an element I think you need, which is very competitive.”
Trent Frederic Oilers vs Kings
“He’s a very unique player with the skill set that he has. He’s a big guy, he’s a physical player, he’s not afraid. He’s got that intimidation factor where he’ll go to the other team’s bench and challenge anybody, like stop messing around with our group. That’s something that I find, you either have that or you don’t. It’s really hard to bluff your way through that. And he’s just naturally that way,” he added.
That sounds like a clearly defined role.
The question becomes, how does Frederic not understand what his job is? The Oilers’ GM was clear as day when he talked about the signing. One has to assume the organization has had this conversation with Frederic. Yet, he’s not naturally intimidating people, and he’s not being all that physical, nor is he challenging anyone. In fact, earlier in the year, he admitted that no one wants to fight a guy with only one goal, before eventually taking on the NHL’s heavyweight in Mathieu Olivier and getting badly beaten.
If Frederic hasn’t figured it out by now, when will he? This is a player the Oilers have for eight seasons. If there was ever a season to prove that you understand why the franchise committed to you, it’s year one.
Next: Jarry on IR and Oilers Call Up Ingram, Amid Roster Moves
